Nestlés Maggi Coconut Milk Powder has been providing Sri
Lankan families delicious, high quality coconut milk powder made from the best
quality local coconuts since 1986. On World Coconut Day, the brand celebrated
33 years of working together with Sri Lankan coconut farmers by providing a
micro irrigation system for two model farms in the Nestlé Coconut Plan,
established to train farmers and help them learn best practices. Proper
irrigation is an essential part of successful coconut cultivation, as it helps
the farmer save water, time and labour in addition to enhancing plant growth
and yield.
Shantha Wijeratne, a farmer in Kalpe, Horowpathana, said
that the irrigation system for his farm would benefit hundreds of farmers in
the area: "I was struggling without a steady supply of water for my farm.
Through a lot of effort and labour we are able to water our plants most months
but this becomes a major challenge for us during times of drought. I am
immensely grateful to Nestlé for making me a tube well and providing me with a
micro irrigation system. As my farm is used as a model farm in the Nestlé
Coconut Plan, this will not only benefit me but the hundreds of farmers who
come here every year for training and development."
As Sri Lankas number one coconut milk powder brand, and one
of the worlds largest exporters of coconut milk powder, Nestlés Maggi Coconut
Milk Powder has a far-reaching positive impact on the local coconut-growing
community. It purchases close to 90 million coconuts a year from 6,600 Sri
Lankan farming families, offering them a sustainable source of income. In 2018,
its total pay-out to local suppliers for coconut was Rs. 4.6 billion. In
addition, Nestlé also supports an additional 3,000 Sri Lankan coconut farmers
and outgrowers through the Nestlé Coconut Plan.
The Nestlé Coconut Plan is a coconut development programme
that was launched by Nestlé and the Sri Lanka Coconut Cultivation Board in
2016. It aims to help enhance coconut cultivation. It offers farmers and
outgrowers technical assistance for coconut growing, resources such as
fertilizer, training and development programmes, and has donated 19,000 hybrid
coconut plantlets that are expected to be more resistant to crop disease and
mature faster than the usual 4-5-year period. The programme also has model
farms to help train farmers and outgrowers, and assure good quality and supply.
J.M.H. Jayasiri, a farmer in the Makandura area who has been indirectly supplying Nestlé for many years said, "We know that Maggi Coconut Milk Powder is not just a trusted quality product in Sri Lanka but in demand across the world. We appreciate Nestlés contribution to local farmers and the coconut industry, and are proud to say that Maggi Coconut Milk Powder is made from the best quality coconuts from our very own farms."
Makshoodh Meerasaibu, Nestlé Senior Vice President
Marketing said "Maggi Coconut Milk Powder has been a household favourite for
generations, trusted and loved by consumers for its convenience, value offered
in time saving, high quality and great taste. Thanks to our world-leading
R&D and state-of-the-art Niro technology used only by Nestlé, we are able
to ensure that our product tastes just as good as the fresh coconut itself.
What many dont know however is that a large part of our success lies in the
fact that we use only Sri Lankan coconut, which is renowned for its best
quality and unique taste. Were proud to be the first in Sri Lanka to take a
national staple like coconut and innovate a product that is loved all over the
world. We want to thank our Sri Lankan farmers for partnering us in this
journey for the last 33 years."
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